THE ILLINOIZE: Guest hosted by Matt Paprocki of the Illinois Policy Institute...Potential drama over Murphy replacement...Aurora Mayor polling for Gov's race...Bailey's running mate on defense

Dec 14, 2021

December 14, 2021

A quick note from Patrick:

As you’ve seen from our guest writers so far, we’re doing our best to get the opinions and perspectives from all sides of the ideological spectrum. Before you all hammer my inbox calling me a conservative troll, a quick piece of background on my “complicated” relationship with the Illinois Policy Institute.
I’ve been incredibly critical over the years of the organization, it’s tactics, and even its pretty blatantly racist cartoons at times. In fact, my personal Twitter account is still blocked by IPI. Those criticisms were under John Tillman’s reign of IPI. I’ve known Matt Paprocki since we were on House staff together back in 2011-2012. I believe he’s a good guy trying to do good policy work, even if I don’t always agree.
On Thursday, we’ll have Tim Drea, the President of the Illinois AFL-CIO guest hosting in this spot. I also know Tim to be a good guy even if I don’t agree with many of his positions.
Amazing how grown ups can do politics.
So, here’s Matt’s perspective. You can read his free IPI newsletter here or spam him on Twitter when you’re done reading here. We appreciate him taking the time to contribute for us this morning.
pjp

Good morning, Illinoize: I’m Matt Paprocki, president of the Illinois Policy Institute.

I want to thank Patrick for allowing me to fill in as guest host during his paternity leave. Fatherhood changed my life. Caring for Fiona, 4, and Rocky, 6 months, is the most fulfilling and rewarding role I’ve ever experienced. I’m now an accomplished hair braider, dolls “talker” and a NASCAR-level diaper changer. I’m thrilled for Patrick and his family as they embark on their new journey as a family of three.

I’ve been called a banjo-playing policy wonk – which is a sore subject in my house, because my wife says there is no qualifier as to whether I’m a “good” banjo player or not.

Today I’m here as a writer sharing ideas for a strong Illinois future. For the past 10 years, I’ve been part of the strongest taxpayer advocate in the state, the Illinois Policy Institute. We educate and engage Illinoisans from all walks of life to ensure our state is a place where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We work to advance free market policies that promote human flourishing and honor the dignity of each individual.

THE PROBLEM

I was raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Despite a childhood indoctrination and love of cheeses of any variety, sausages and the Green Bay Packers – which my extended family calls child abuse – my first dream was to move to Illinois.

The reason is simple: Illinois is the greatest state in the history of America.

It’s the birthplace of skyscrapers, the American Dream, and Pequod’s pizza. Which I will put up against any soggy-crusted New York style pizza any day.

After I graduated college, my dream came true and I moved to Illinois.

I always tell people you don’t choose where you are born, but you choose where you will be buried. And for me, it’s Illinois.

Illinois should be one of the best places in the country to raise a family, grow a business and pursue dreams. Our workforce is highly educated. We have incredible cultural diversity and our natural resources are amazing.

But Illinois is struggling.

The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute’s poll from 2016 showed nearly 50% of Illinoisians would leave Illinois if they could.

That breaks my heart.

Many of our state’s biggest failings are self-imposed: High taxes and weak economic growth, public corruption and not enough educational options for kids.

We are the best state in the country, but Illinoisians would leave their family, their friends and their communities because of decisions made by our government.

The great thing about Illinoisians is we have overcome much bigger problems than this. We rebuilt Chicago after a fire left one-third of the city’s residents homeless. Then we hosted an international party, called the World’s Fair, 22 years later.

When the city was poisoning itself with sewage-filled drinking water in the 1880s, we did the impossible. We reversed a river, sending all of our sewage down to St. Louis, where I’m told they repackage and sell it back to us in the form of Budweiser (the dad jokes will come in time, Patrick, I promise).

When buildings were collapsing because our city was built on a swamp, we raised the entire downtown with jackscrews – and built skyscrapers on top of them.

Comparatively speaking, our problems now are simple. Not easy. Simple.

First, the tax and growth problem. Unsustainable levels of public debt and chronic budget deficits have already led to tax and fee hikes – 24 during Governor JB Pritzker’s term alone – including property taxes, income taxes, gas taxes, license fees and more. Those threaten businesses’ and families’ bottom lines, harming economic growth. The largest barrier to growth is rising pension costs, which now consume more than one-quarter of Illinois’ general budget. Since fiscal year 2000, state spending on pensions has grown more than 500%, while spending on K-12 education is up just 21% and spending on social services for the disadvantaged has been cut 32%. It’s not just that vulnerable Illinoisans, abused children, adults with disabilities and others who rely on government services are at risk of further cuts. Most state pension funds are only 40% funded, so government retirees are also at risk of facing an uncertain future in which state promises can’t be kept.

Next, public corruption. It should come as no surprise that Illinois is ranked the second-most corrupt state in the nation. In recent years, a steady stream of news stories highlighted instances of corruption in both the Illinois General Assembly and Chicago City Hall. A culture of corruption surrounded our state for decades. That culture has led to power being consolidated in the hands of a few influential groups and individuals, meaning less power for voters. This leads to our current problems of gerrymandered maps, uncompetitive elections and less incentive for lawmakers to do good work for the people.

Illinois spends more on education than any of our neighboring states, but teachers and kids see smaller pieces of the funding pie each year. Illinois pays for pensions and school district administrators first – not students in classrooms. Many students need options if their local public school doesn't meet their unique needs. Education is the great equalizer – it is the key ingredient in the recipe to lift kids up out of bad circumstances. Private schools were in many cases the only places children in Illinois could go to class fully in-person during the 2020-2021 pandemic school year, but too many families are locked out of access to private options because of tuition costs. That doesn’t mean private schools are for everybody, but the option to attend them should be.

THE SOLUTIONS

Where do we start with this impressive list of problems? Transformational fiscal policy reforms, starting with constitutional pension reform, have the power to bring stability to Illinois’ finances and put the state on a path toward a brighter, more prosperous future.

A “hold harmless” pension reform plan which protects workers’ earned benefits can save roughly $2.4 billion for the state budget the first year and more than $50 billion through 2045. The plan would also totally eliminate the state’s pension debt during that time. It would preserve every dollar of pension benefits promised to public workers for work already performed, while allowing for changes to future annual cost-of-living benefits. Meaningful pension reform has already been enacted in Arizona, Minnesota and many other states. While a constitutional amendment would be voted on during a general election, a good first step to implement immediately is Tier III pensions, a hybrid defined-benefit and defined-contribution retirement plan. Tier III was passed by the General Assembly in 2018, but a technicality kept it from being enacted by most state pension plans. That can easily be fixed.

How do we fix corruption and ensure clean, transparent, responsive government in Illinois? We improve on the ethics reforms lawmakers started this year. First, we further empower the legislative inspector general. The legislative inspector general should be permitted to issue subpoenas for evidence and publish founded summary reports without requiring approval from the lawmakers on the Legislative Ethics Commission. Second, we extend the “cooling off” period between General Assembly members leaving office and returning to lobby their former colleagues. This year, Illinois implemented a six-month prohibition on former lawmakers becoming employed as lobbyists, with a loophole if a new session begins sooner. Illinois should bring its revolving door law more in line with the rest of nation and require at least a one- or two-year waiting period. Third, we should enforce a true, three-day reading requirement for bills. The Illinois Constitution requires each new bill be read by title on three separate days before it can be passed into law. It is a wise requirement intended to give lawmakers time to understand what they are voting for. But the spirit of this provision is often subverted through the practice of gutting and replacing legislation through shell bills – frequently leaving lawmakers and constituents with no time to read or comprehend the bills before they are passed.

And how do we give more kids access to schools that work for them? We have to expand – not sunset – the state’s Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The scholarship program was passed in 2017 and allows individuals and businesses to donate money for private school scholarships and receive a tax credit of 75 cents for every $1 donated. Scholarship money is awarded to families whose income does not exceed 300% of the federal poverty level. Thousands of kids benefit from the program, and as of May 2021, 26,000 families were on the waitlist. Empower Illinois, the largest scholarship granting organization in the state, reported the average annual household income of participants is $38,000, and over 40% of participating students are Black or Hispanic. Pritzker tried to slash the program in his 2021 budget proposal, calling it a tax “loophole” that needed closing. While lawmakers saved the program until the end of 2023, they should continue the program further and, ideally, make it permanent so families can plan for their futures. The program has been working well for households that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford private school tuition but whose children face unique needs in school.

THE FIGHT CONTINUES

The good news? These sound like big problems. They are. But the solutions aren’t complicated, and they have bipartisan support.

The Illinois General Assembly has come together again and again to look out for taxpayers. And the fight will continue when lawmakers return in January. In 2016, we worked together to pass barrier-shattering occupational licensing reform that gives people a second chance at success after incarceration. In 2021, anti-corruption reform was passed that chips away at Illinois’ legacy of government wrongdoing.

Every year, the Institute works with brave lawmakers from both parties who fight for taxpayers and who share our vision for a prosperous Illinois. We can’t wait to get back to Springfield to push for these solutions in 2022.

If you’d like to learn more about these ideas, visit illinoispolicy.org. And to tell your lawmaker to show their support, please visit illinoispolicy.org/take-action.

Here’s to a Happy New Year. Thank you for caring enough to stay and help mend Illinois.

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AURORA MAYOR RICHARD IRVIN POLLING POTENTIAL GOV RACE

From Patrick:

We’re told Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin was believed to have been in the field with a poll over the weekend weighing his standing in the current crop of GOP candidates for Governor.

Irvin was re-elected as Mayor of the state’s second largest city earlier this year. He was first elected in 2017 after a term on the city council. He’s an Army veteran, serving in Operation Desert Storm and is a former prosecutor.

More importantly, sources tell us Irvin may now be the preferred candidate of billionaire hedge fund executive Ken Griffin, the wealthiest person in Illinois, who has been in a public spat with Governor JB Pritzker and has vowed to finance a candidate against the Democratic incumbent.

Neither major party has ever had an African American nominee for Governor.

Update: Irvin’s political spokesman, Dennis Cook, referred us to an October story in the Aurora Beacon-News claiming there was “no way” Irvin was running for Governor.

“No, he’s not running for governor,” Cook told The Beacon-News. “Richard just got re-elected in April. We have a job to do.”

Cook did not elaborate further on a poll or on Griffin’s potential support.

POTENTIAL GOP DRAMA OVER MURPHY SEAT

When Rep. Mike Murphy resigned his seat last month to take the president & CEO job with the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, it set off an interesting tight rope walk for local Republicans to fill the seat.

Now the appointment could have connotations for a state senate race and state house race.

Sources tell The Illinoize Kelly Thompson, the former director of the state Soil & Water Conservation Districts Association and currently on staff with the Illinois Chamber-affiliated Illinois Environmental Regulatory Group, has been eyeing a challenge to appointed Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) next year.

Many leading Republicans under the statehouse dome believe Thompson should be appointed to Murphy’s seat to give her a head start on the legislative process, to raise her profile, and to start raising money for a potential top tier senate race in 2022.

But, as always, things are never as easy as they seem.

The Illinoize is told there is a group of leaders within the Sangamon County Republican Party who want to appoint a person to challenge Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) in a primary next year. Some Springfield-area Republicans are upset with Bourne, who doesn’t currently represent any of Sangamon County, but would under the new legislative maps if they withstand a court challenge. Bourne is said to be supporting former Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, who she has known her entire life, in a primary against Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield).

Sangamon County GOP Chair Dianne Hardwick told The Illinoize Monday night she isn’t involved in any anti-Bourne plans.

“I don’t think there’s a plan to run anyone against Avery at the moment,” Hardwick said.

Hardwick makes the decision on the appointment on her own. She says it will likely come December 30.

THE ILLINOIZE: Guest hosted by Matt Paprocki of the Illinois Policy Institute...Potential drama over Murphy replacement...Aurora Mayor polling for Gov's race...Bailey's running mate on defense

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